English

Should I major in English?
Consider your experience with English so far. If you have usually performed well in your high school literature and writing classes, then you may find similar success in a college-level program.

If your verbal scores on standardized tests have been higher than your math scores, then you may prefer coursework that emphasizes the written word.

Even if your amusements involve wordplay (solving anagrams, playing Scrabble or Boggle, working crossword puzzles), then you may have what it takes to thrive as an English major.

If you have always been an avid reader (especially of challenging literary works), if you feel driven to express yourself in writing (be it poetry, fiction or journalism), if you find yourself watching a movie and thinking, “The book was much better than the film version,” then perhaps you should consider pursuing further studies in English.

Meet English majors:

David Miller
David Miller “I am thankful to be chosen to go to LaGrange College, because being selected meant I got to have so many opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise, ones that have been extremely enriching to me.”

The English major and coaching minor originally planned to become a high school English teacher and coach. His love of writing evolved even more during the last four years, and now he hopes to write for a sports magazine.

“Sports Illustrated would be my ideal choice,” he says, smiling. “I hope to take a year off after I graduate, work and then go to grad school before I start a career.”

Carl Straumsheim
 Carl Straumsheim A Rotary scholarship funded one year of study in the U.S, but after two semesters at LaGrange, he decided to stay.

As a high-school senior in his home country of Norway, Carl wasn’t sure where he wanted to go to college.

“My brother got a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, and he had such a great time studying in the U.S., that he encouraged me to do it.”

Carl applied for the one-year scholarship through the local Rotary Club, where his father is a member.

What can I do with a major in English?

To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, the question isn’t “What can I do?” but rather “What can’t I do?” People who work well with words are in high demand throughout the working world. Public relations, editing, journalism and teaching are obvious career paths, but English majors are also welcome in all sorts of corporations, non-profit organizations, government entities and professional associations.

There are also employment possibilities in creative venues such as composing song lyrics, screenplay writing and acting. Supplement your literary studies with the right blend of sciences and you can build a career in medicine, counseling or speech therapy. Pair your English major with extensive focus on a foreign language and you can become a translator or interpreter. Many a lawyer and librarian majored in English as an undergraduate. Ditto for radio and television announcers. And businesses large and small depend upon administrative staff as well as managers with strong writing skills.

In short, wherever people use words to accomplish their professional goals, you can find English majors at work.